See Muni Diaries Live!

Twice a year, we bring you Muni stories live on stage in San Francisco. Our stellar storytellers spin tales from the bus, just like we do on the site, on the internets, and IRL, day in and day out.

If you want to be in the lineup for the next Muni Diaries Live please contact us at muni.diaries.sf@gmail.com. In the meantime, anyone and everyone should sign up for our newsletter to get the latest updates on our shows.

Missed one of our live events? See what they’re like:

Muni Diaries Live 1: Riders with Drinks, June 12, 2009
Muni Diaries Live 2: Under the Influence, October 20, 2009
Muni Diaries Live 3: Breaking It Down, April 23, 2010
Muni Diaries Live 4: Halloween Show, October 29, 2010
Muni Diaries Live 5: Third anniversary show! April 22, 2011
Muni Diaries Live 6: The Reunion Show, September 28, 2011
Muni Diaries Live 7: Full house! January 21, 2012
Muni Diaries Live 8: Turn the Lights Down Low, August 11, 2012
Muni Diaries Live 9: Heroes, Idiots, and a Rice-A-Roni Sing-Along, March 1, 2013
Muni Diaries Live 10: Missed Connection Kind of Good Looking, November 9, 2013
Muni Diaries Live 11: Hot Night, Hotter Tales, April 5, 2014
Muni Diaries Live 12: Please Exit Through the Weirdos, November 8, 2014
Muni Diaries Live 13: Stories from the driver’s seat! April 18, 2015
Muni Diaries Live 14: Secrets to life in SF, Oct 15, 2015
Muni Diaries Live 15: Bingo, Burlesque, and everything you never realized goes great with Muni, April 16, 2016
Muni Diaries Live 16: 6 stories, 2 (unrelated) street birds on the bus, 1 incredible evening, November 5, 2016
Muni Diaries Live 17: Those sexy springtime tales, April 15, 2017
Muni Diaries Live 18: Turn up the volume, Nov. 4, 2017

– Muni Diaries Live 19: It’s our 10th Birthday! April 21, 2018

– Muni Diaries Live 20: Celebrating the Elbo Room, Nov. 3, 2018

Muni Diaries Live 1: Riders with Drinks, June 12, 2009


Photo by Stuart Dixon

Our first show: Raising the temperature at the Make-Out Room by at least 20 degrees, we featured a haiku troupe, sea shanty, great stories, and yes, penis puppets.

Read the recap of Muni Diaries Live 1: Riders with Drinks, June 12, 2009

Featuring:

  • Tiffany Maleshefski, Muni Mind Reader
  • Angelie and Julie, Manner Ladies of MuniManners.com
  • Rachel Moore, FogCityNotes.blogspot.com
  • Tara DeMoulin, sea shanty songstress
  • Tony Long
  • Chris Lindsey (Anderson Congress), Eugenia Chien, Ileana Shevlin (BoredIsTheNewBusy.blogspot.com/), Jessica Hilberman (twitter.com/sftonight), Tara Ramroop – Muni haiku troupe.
  • Laura Aston of the Cable Car Confessions series of UndertheSheets-shhh.blogspot.com
  • Troy Holden, Eugenia, and Jeff

Muni Diaries Live 2: Under the Influence, Oct 20, 2009


Photo by Troy Holden

The incomparable Cock-T’s perform Muni cheers, a BART operator tells all, Muni mini cupcakes, erotic Muni story contest winner, and a song for the 38-Geary.

Read the recap of Muni Diaries Live 2:Under the Influence, Oct 20, 2009

Featuring:

  • Shane Papatolicas, “Sometimes on the 38”
  • Rachel Moore, Fog City Notes
  • Sonia and David
  • The Cock-Ts!
  • Erotic story winner, read by Amy Holzer
  • Kelly Beardsley, BART operator

Muni Diaries Live 3: Breaking It Down, April 23, 2010

Tales of payback in the back of the bus, hapless German tourists on BART, flying loogies, and Will Franken!

Read the recap of Muni Diaries Live 3: Breaking It Down, April 23, 2010

Featuring:

  • The Cock-Ts
  • Vero Majano
  • Kelly Beardsley
  • McPuzo and Trotsky
  • Will Franken

Muni Diaries Live 4: Halloween Show, Oct 29, 2010

We Take This Inicident VERY Seriously
Photo by Amber Wolf of Wiz Bang Photography

Handsome stranger on the bus, riders lifting the N off the ground, tales from the SFMTA press office, and brave attempted fist fight!

Read the recap of Muni Diaries Live 4: Halloween Show, Oct 29, 2010

Featuring:

  • Isaac Fitzgerald (video)
  • Andrew Lam (video)
  • Derek Powazek (video)
  • Judson True
  • Tara DeMoulin
  • Bucky Sinister

Muni Diaries Live 5: Third Anniversary Show


Photo by Amber Wolf of Wiz Bang Photography

We celebrate three years of sharing Muni stories. Hear about a first kiss that happened in a Muni station, welcome back an audience winner, sing along to a toy piano, learn how a Southern mom broke it down, and stand up for smelly art.

The show was even captured by the awesome illustration of Jay Sacher in the Bay Citizen.

Read the recap of Muni Diaries Live 5: Third Anniversary Show.

Featuring:

Muni Diaries Live 6: The Reunion Show


Photo by Amber Wolf of Wiz Bang Photography

It’s a Muni Diaries reunion! We brought back our past favorite performers at the Elbo Room for a hot night of storytelling with special guest Anna Conda. This night was so hot that it inspired a Craigslist Missed Connection!

Read the recap of Muni Diaries Live 6: The Reunion Show.

Featuring:

  • Anna Conda
  • Isaac Fitzgerald (video)
  • Vero Majano
  • Rachel Moore
  • Joyce Lee (video)
  • Pam Benjamin
  • Tara Demoulin
  • Jesse James

Muni Diaries Live 7: Full House!

Full House
Photo by Kevin Wong

We welcome some true Bay Area voices to the stage for a packed night of storytelling and fun, including a man whose voice you recognize from your morning commute! And we heard a Muni madrigal that only Muni Diaries readers can dream of. Read the recap of Muni Diaries Live 7: Full House!

Featuring:

  • Pinched Nerve
  • Jan Richman
  • Sal Castaneda (video)
  • Caitlin Gill
  • Glynn Washington
  • Chloe Veltman
  • Stephen Elliot

Muni Diaries Live 8: Turn the Lights Down Low


Photo by April Malvino

On this August evening, we were treated to Broke-Ass Stuart’s young love on the bus. Muni Diaries Live favorite Jesse told us about finding his guardian angel on Muni, and his mom finally made it up from Southern California to see her son wow the audience. Mahsa Matin showed us how to rock the one-woman band gig, while her partner Elyse twirled along. What a night! Read all about Muni Diaries Live 8.

Featuring:

Muni Diaries Live 9: Heroes, Idiots, and a Rice-A-Roni Sing-Along

Muni Diaries Live 9 Richie Nakano
Photo by Elton Sin

Where else would you erupt into an impromptu Rice-a-Roni sing-along? At Muni Diaries Live, of course! This time we packed in a queercore band, a great lineup of storytellers, plus a rematch of the Muni Haiku Battle. Read all about Muni Diaries Live 9.

Featuring:

  • Lucky Jesus
  • Mike Cappozola
  • Richie Nakano
  • Johnny Funcheap
  • Kelly Beardsley
  • Anna Pulley
  • James Nestor

Muni Diaries Live 10: Missed Connection Kind of Good Looking

haiku battle
Al photos by Right Angle Images

The house was packed at the Elbo Room for an evening of stories that can only happen on Muni (and BART). If Muni is the city’s public living room, our storytellers are the ones you want sitting next to you on the couch.

Recap here.

Featuring:

  • Nato Green
  • Kay DeMartini
  • H.P. Mendoza
  • Female Trouble
  • Tarin Towers
  • Beth Spotswood
  • James Nestor
  • Jesse James

Muni Diaries Live 11: Hot Night, Hotter Tales

kelly-beardsley-muni-diaries-live-elbo-room-2014
Photo by Kevin Wong/Right Angle Images

At this Muni Diaries Live, we heard tales about the one ride that made you see life in the city differently (or at least made you never touch the hand bars again). We learn that nothing is TMI on Muni, and sharing it with about 200 of your fellow commuters is the best way to laugh it all off.

Featuring:

Muni Diaries Live 12: Please exit through the weirdos

ronn
Photo by Kevin Wong/Right Angle Images

At this Muni Diaries Live, we dug deep into Muni’s history to find out why Forest Hill station smells the way it does, and a new challenger faced off with our Muni haiku champion.

Featuring:

Muni Diaries Live 13: Stories from the driver’s seat!

doug
Photo by Kevin Wong/Right Angle Images

At this show, we had lots of only-in-San Francisco moments. I mean, where else can you expect an impromptu Whitney Houston lip-synch contest? And our public transit dreams finally came true when Driver Doug joined us on stage to share some behind-the-scenes stories of being a Muni driver for the last 17 years.

Featuring

Muni Diaries Live 14: Secrets to life in SF!

gabe

What can happen on one bus ride to really change your life in San Francisco? At this show, our Muni Diaries Live storytellers told the standing room-only crowd at the Elbo Room all about the surprising interactions on Muni that can change you in small and big ways.

Featuring

  • Gabe Armstrong (video)
  • Cara Tramontano (video)
  • Kristee Ono (video)
  • Satellite High (video)
  • Jerry Lee Abram (video)
  • Doug Meriwether
  • Baruch Porras-Hernandez
  • Ronn Vigh

Muni Diaries Live 15: Bingo, Burlesque, and everything you never knew went so well with Muni!

crowd

Amazing tales, a new spin on bingo, and an only-in-San Francisco burlesque act that put old paper Fast Passes to very good use: at our 15th show, we were still floored by the enthusiasm and support of everyone who came to Muni Diaries Live, especially our storytellers who really dug deep into their San Francisco experience to share stories that are both funny and vulnerable.

Check out the event recap.

Featuring

  • Jesse James
  • Mandy Hu (video)
  • Chris O (video)
  • Wonder Dave (video)
  • Alexa von Kickinface

6 stories, 2 (unrelated) street birds on the bus, 1 incredible evening, November 5, 2016

Ah, pre-election 2016. We were so optimistic for the future. Though we can’t say we’ve recovered, it warms our hearts to know that San Franciscans are still rooting for humanity — and for our collective success getting into those doors before they close or acquiring those elusive late-night transfers. Let us count the ways we celebrated, IRL, the magic of the journey within our 7×7.

Featuring

  • Courtney Riddle
  • Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez
  • Sarah Hunt (download the podcast!)
  • Justina Wu
  • Cynthia and Jeremy Pollock
  • Woo Woo Monroe

Those sexy springtime tales, April 15, 2017


Can riding the bus bring together 200 people to cheer whenever they hear a Muni line called out? The answer is “100 times yes,” as we experienced IRL at the Elbo Room last Saturday at Muni Diaries Live. For this show, we brought some seriously talented storytellers who, like you, shares their tales of what it’s like to live in San Francisco, one Muni ride at a time.

Featuring

  • Irene Tu
  • J. W. Friedman
  • Dixie De La Tour
  • Baruch Porras-Hernandez
  • Vivian Ho
  • Na’amen Tilahun

Tune in to the Muni Diaries Live podcast to hear their stories!

Turn up the volume, Nov. 4, 2017

Twice a year, we take Muni Diaries out of the interwebs and into real life at Muni Diaries Live. If those stories, told to a packed crowd at the Elbo Room last Saturday are any indication, Muni is still the spot to mine storytelling gold.

Featuring:

  • Tirumari Jothi
  • Steve Pepple
  • Alexandria Love
  • Senait Hallermariam
  • Dominique Gelin
  • Matt Gonzalez

Tune in to the Muni Diaries Live podcast to hear their stories!

Muni Diaries 10th Anniversary Show, April 21, 2018

We celebrated our tenth birthday with a roster of amazing talent. Featuring:

  • Alexa Von Kickinface
  • Gwen Carmen
  • Heather Knight
  • J.W. Friedman
  • Jason Bayani
  • Jessica Cohen
  • JiaJing Liu
  • Parker Gibbs
  • Peter Hartlaub

Celebrating the Elbo Room, Nov. 3, 2018

We say goodbye to our beloved Elbo Room, which had been our home for many years. Featuring:

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